CY-FAMILY Program

    'CY-FAMILY' is a featured and popular homestay program which aims at helping you fully immerse into the Chinese culture! 

    In this program, you will be able to live in a Chinese host family for a cost which is much lower than the market level. You will have more chances to practice Mandarin, and try traditional Chinese food. 

    Furthermore, it will open a new window for you to explore and understand the real Chinese society, acquire cross-cultural communication skills through daily interaction, and therefore prepare you well for future China-related career. 

    You will get:

    1.Before the international student moves in, you can have 20 to 30 minutes of voice or video conversations with the host family. This process allows you and the family to get to know each other better;

    2.Live with a local family for free;

    3.Stay with the host family for one semester, normally 20 weeks. It depends on your arriving time and school schedule. Please discuss it with the host family and make it clear in the contrast.

    4.Living with host family gives you more opportunities to experience Chinese culture and adapt to life in China faster and better;

    5.Improve your communication, problem-solving and time management skills. Enable you gain the abilities which cannot be learnt from the textbook and give you a wonderful study experience in China;

    6.More opportunities to learn and practice Mandarin;

    7.Build a good friendship with the host family and give you a new 'family' in China;

    8.At the end of each semester, you can choice: to join in this program next semester - stay with the same host family or choose a new one. We will give you cash prizes based on the CY-Family experiencing material (photos, videos and documents) you shared with us;

    9.CY-Family enrolling certification;

    10.Discount on managerial fee of CY-Family in the future, discount on summer camp and winter camp fee of IBS BFSU. 

    Extended Family

    "Extended Family" is a program initiated by IBS, which offers international students a chance to make friends with Chinese people and spend weekends and holidays with Chinese families. Through this program, international students can get a taste of the authentic Chinese family and learn about China in person.

    Culture is not something that can be learned only from textbooks, it is something that should be also acquired by practices and experiences. Here, "Extended Family" program provides international students with precious opportunities to immerse themselves in Chinese culture. 

    By involving in "Extended Family" program, students will make friends with local families in Beijing. As local friends, the families will invite students to their home or go outing for weekends and holidays from time to time. Being a member of local extended families could be a great support to the students who might feel lonely and confused when they move to a new country. 
In each semester, a large number of international students have fun with their Chinese families.   

    Q&A 

    Q: Do international students need to live with the Chinese family? 

    A: No, in extended family program, students do not need to live with the Chinese family.

    At your free time when you want to go out with the Chinese family, you may contact them to see if it is fine for the family. And about when to go, where to go and what to do with the Chinese family, all are up you and the Chinese family. We think you are gonna have a great experience with the Chinese family. 

    Q：What would students do with the Chinese family?

    A: From previous experiences, students with the Chinese family went on short trips, ate local food, and attended outdoor activities held in Beijing, or just sat somewhere having a cup of tea and chatting in Chinese and English or any other language.  

    Q: Are there any benefits for students to be in this program?

    A: When you made your choice to study in China, which element of China stood out? Is it China's fast-growing economy, splendid culture or its people of hospitality?

    Learning knowledge from class is just one aspect of your study life here. What would make your life here in China more interesting and fruitful? One answer to this question would be contact and communication with the local families. You can actually touch upon the Chinese family culture by being a member of it. Not to mention the fast acquiring of the Chinese language. 

     Q: Do all students who signed up for this program share one Chinese family?

    A: No, each student registered for this program will have his/her own Chinese family. But 1- 2 students can participate the activities together, if the host family allows.

     Q: What about the Chinese family? Are they nice?

    A: You don't need to worry about the Chinese family. We will find a reliable and nice family for you. And at least one of the members of the Chinese family speaks English. They are professors from school or friends of teachers.   

    Q: Does the Chinese family live far from school?

    A: They do not. Most of the Chinese families live near BFSU. And the Chinese family has a car and you can ask them to give you a lift when going out together. They would be happy to do so. 

    Q: Do students need to pay for this program?

    A: No, students don't need to pay for this program, because it is held by IBS.BFSU and we hope to present students with plenty of opportunities to get to know the Chinese culture and acquire something from their interaction with the local Chinese. 

    For further details, please send an email to zoukang@bfsu.edu.cn with the subject line: "Extended Family"